Removing a radiator

 You may need to remove a radiator for numerous reasons such as decorating or replacement so today I'm going to tell you how to remove your radiator quickly and safely.

A control valve

Do not start any work if the radiator feels even a little warm you need to wait for it to cool otherwise you could be burned !

You need to make sure you have some protection around the radiator before starting the removal process,i suggest you have a dust sheet under the radiator as their can be a lot of dirt behind a rad that hasn't been removed for a long time and a dust sheet will also help protect carpets and floors from any watery sludge that may leak whilst removing a radiator.

 The next step is to close the control valve,you shouldn't need any special tools to do this and it is normally done by hand.                                                    

Adjusting the lock shield valve

Now you need to close the lock shield valve,I suggest using a spanner as a pair of pliers or mole grips may round the valve so be careful with which tool you choose for this part.when you close of the valve you need to count the number of turns it takes and write it down so that you know how many turns to open it when its re-fitted if your not re-fitting your radiator but replacing you should still make a note of the number of turns as it may come in handy.                                                

Your gonna need a bowl or container to catch the water when it runs out,be sure that your bowl or container is already under the valve when you start to loosen off the union nut as the water will run out immediately.It is a good idea to have a second container in case the first one fills up quicker than you thought it might.

This image shows the air vent

Now open the air vent,this is to help increase the water flow.The air vent is normally at the top of the radiator (see picture).The image is only to help me point out where you should be looking,the air vent on your radiator may not look like this one but generally their all in the same place.

Another issue you may find is that you need a key of some sort to turn it,some will have a screw and some will need a type of radiator key,but don't worry if you haven't one to hand as they are relatively cheap to buy from your local hard wear store and i suggest you check prior to starting work on removing the radiator.
                                                                                          
When the water stops running out you can begin to undo the union nut on the lock shield valve.Be careful though because their might be more water waiting to poor out,so if you've got a full container grab the second one and have some rags or something similar to hand that you can use to bung the ends as their may still be water inside. 
                                                                                         

This image shows the union nut

Once all the water has run out and you have blocked the ends off you can begin to think about lifting the rad of the wall.You need to be careful you don't injure yourself when doing this as some radiators can be particularly heavy (even if its a small rad),so a good idea would be to get a friend to help you remove the radiator from the wall,and remember to keep the radiator upright just in case their is any water still inside.

If you are re-fitting the same rad make sure to flush out any sludge that may be inside,I recommend you take the rad outside and use a hose or something similar to do this, and don't flush it out it on any nice services as they may be ruined or stained.

Now for re-fitting.Check before you fit your radiator that the wall brackets are tight and secure,then reconnect the union nuts and tighten by hand.You can then re-open the valves,this will let the water run back into the radiator.Make sure the air vent is open when the radiator is filling as it will stop any air getting trapped inside.

Now check for any water leaking form the radiator,adjust the lock shield valve into the position you wrote down before,double check that everything is tight.Now your finished.Keep an eye on the radiator for any leaks over the next few days.

I hope this post was helpful for anybody looking to undertake this job or who are new to plumbing.
If you have any thoughts concerning radiator removal leave a comment below.
thanks for reading.

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